Vietnam-The Path to War

A BRIEF HISTORY OF VIETNAMvietnamsill.gif

Pre 1800s – Vietnam has Dynastic rulers, influenced by China

LATE 1800s – Vietnam is a French colony, called Indochina

1930s – communist revolts led by Ho Chi Minh flees to China and USSR

1940s – Ho Chi Minh forms Vietminh party in order to liberate Vietnam – declare independence in 1945

1954 – Vietminh successfully defeats French in north Vietnam and establish communist government in north

1954 – Vietnam is split temporarily by the Geneva Accords, with free elections to be held in 1956 to unite the nation

LATE 1950s – Civil War in Vietnam between Communist North and American-supported South


PRESIDENTIAL INVOLVEMENT
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TRUMAN
notes

Sent Military and
Economic Aid to
France to help them
keep their colonies
in Indochina, including
Vietnam
EISENHOWER
notes

Felt that if one country
falls to Communism, then
others would follow, -- the
domino effect. Helped establish
a puppet state in South
Vietnam and sent military
advisers to help in the South.
Ngo Dinh Diem leads
South Vietnam
-won't hold free elections.
KENNEDY
notes

U.S. supports an overthrow
of Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963.
US doesn't want to be soft on
Communism. Continued to
send advisers -- at his death,
there were 16,000 Americans
in Vietnam.
JOHNSON
notes

Commits to the US more full to the war
in Vietnam.
Originally sends a few more
advisers. "We aren't going to send American
boys 10,000 miles away, to do what
Vietnamese boys should do."
Gulf of Tonkin Incident- USA boats attacked.






The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution


notes

  • President can "take all necessary measures"
to protect American forces and "prevent further aggression."
A BLANK CHECK

  • Passes unanimously in the House and only has
2 opposing in the Senate.

  • LBJ states that "we will seek no wider war".

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Sec. of Defense Robert McNamera


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Operation Rolling Thunder


notes

Operation Rolling Thunder-USA dropped a lot of bombs, (more than they dropped on Germany in WWII) on Vietnam


American ground troops enter Vietnam


notes

3,500 Marines join 20,000+ military advisers are sent to Vietnam
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